Oaklandside: Howard Terminal ballpark: A conversation with Carroll Fife
Carroll Fife joined the City Council in January 2021, in the midst of the Oakland A’s proposal to build a 35,000-seat stadium, thousands of homes, a hotel, and office and retail space at Howard Terminal near the Port of Oakland and Jack London Square.
The $12 billion project, if built, would have huge impacts on West Oakland and Chinatown. Fife came into the District 3 office, which represents West Oakland and Jack London Square on Oakland’s City Council, after defeating incumbent Lynette Gibson McElhaney. She has served as executive director of nonprofit community advocacy organization ACCE, and was one of the key architects of the Moms 4 Housing movement, and helped organize the Anti Police-Terror Project. She campaigned for her Council seat on plans to address issues of police reform, homelessness, and housing affordability. But Fife told us she believes the scope of the ballpark proposal has sucked up time, attention, and city resources to the point that it’s hobbled the city’s ability to address more pressing issues facing Oakland residents.
